


The Inherent Homoerotic Tension of Bench Presses

by PiningTsukkiEnthusiast



Series: Bokuto Koutarou Week 2020 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Attempt at Humor, Bokuto Koutarou Week, Bokuto Koutarou Week 2020, Crack Treated Seriously, Crush at First Sight, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Rare Pairings, There's like an arsonist but don't worry abt it, Unresolved Romantic Tension, it's also the main plot so worry about it, that's my duality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26462923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiningTsukkiEnthusiast/pseuds/PiningTsukkiEnthusiast
Summary: Day 1:Hair Down|Sweaty Workout|Firefighter AUThink of this fic as if it were Brooklyn 99 but with firefighters, and then forget everything that you know about Brooklyn 99 or firefighters.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Tendou Satori
Series: Bokuto Koutarou Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1923766
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20
Collections: Bokuto Week 2020





	The Inherent Homoerotic Tension of Bench Presses

**Author's Note:**

> I was possessed by Bokuto and Tendou themselves so I actually don't know what this fic is about. Have fun.

Being a career firefighter has its ups and downs, but Koutarou couldn’t be happier with his choice in occupation!

Whether it’s saving a kitten from a tree or a child from a burning building, he relishes in his opportunities to help out his fellow human. It’s not about playing hero; it’s about seeing that people can rest easy, about keeping them safe. Firefighters are first responders, though a lot of times, there isn’t much Koutarou can do with those calls. Still, he will offer warmth and kindness to those who need it.

He truly loves his job.

But right now, it’s a little slow, he has to admit. There haven’t been emergencies, no kitties stuck in trees, and yeah! That’s great! Seriously, Koutarou is managing to get a full night’s rest these days. It’s just that when he’s at the station, there’s not much to do but sit around and wonder if they were going to have to spring into action at any minute.

It’s the world’s worst game of _hurry up and wait_. Every time the phone so much as rings, the entire force experiences a butt-clenching level of tension until they’re told it wasn’t anything serious.

So Koutarou does the only thing that he can to pass the time: he works out.

Sometimes, he’s alone in the weight room, but more often, his colleagues join him. When that happens, things tend to get… _competitive_.

Yukie, Kiyoko, and Hana are all beasts on their own, and while they can’t lift as _heavy_ as Koutarou, their endurance is seemingly endless. Iwaizumi and Ushijima are Koutarou’s biggest competitors on the weight portion, and Konoha does pretty well on all fronts.

“I’m just saying that we should settle this like adults and professionals,” Iwaizumi says simply, rolling up his sleeves. “Arm wrestling content. Whichever one of us wins is the strongest here.”

“All three of us at once?” Koutarou asks, looking between Ushijima and Iwaizumi.

“No, airhead, he means that all three of you arm wrestle in separate rounds and the winner is the strongest,” Yukie calls.

Koutarou nods because, yeah, that makes more sense. He turns to complain to Yukie about calling him an airhead, but before he gets any words out, the captain is in the doorway to the weight room.

“Hey, we’ve got a transfer coming in later today,” Daichi announces, arms crossed. “He’s going to be with us for about a month– he’s tracking a serial arsonist and there’s a good chance that the perp is going to be hitting our city next. It is imperative that you all remain vigilant and prepared. Any questions?”

Koutarou raises his hand.

“Yes, Bokuto?”

“Right, uh, what does _imperative_ mean?”

Daichi blinks at him, then sighs. “It means important, vital, necessary.”

“Oh.” Koutarou blinks. “Why didn’t you say one of those then? Was the tetrasyllabic word that _imperative_?”

Daichi pinches the bridge of his nose. “It was for effect, and I assumed that you all would know what I meant. Use context clues, Bokuto.”

Konoha looks between the two of them. “Hey, is no one else wondering why Bokkun knows the word _tetrasyllabic_ , but not imperative?”

“If you’re still surprised after three years of working together, then that’s a personal problem, Akinori,” Yukie says, clapping Konoha on the shoulder.

The rest of the afternoon is spent in anticipation. While the idea of an arsonist in their city isn’t ideal, Koutarou would be lying if he said that he wasn’t looking forward to having something to do again.

After all, it’s been the slowest two weeks of his entire career. If there’s much more of this, then Koutarou is going to lose his mind, he’s certain!

And of course, he’s curious about this transfer.

The transfer must be more than just a regular firefighter, if they’re _investigating_ an _arsonist_. Admittedly, there’s not a lot of fires, let alone _arson_ around here, so Koutarou has never gotten to talk to a fire and arson investigator.

He knows that it takes special qualifications, and now he wants to know if they started out as a firefighter, or if they always knew they wanted to investigate arson. Oh, and if some arsonist is coming here, how are they going to stop the perp _before_ any damage gets done?

“Stop mumbling to yourself, Bokkun, you’re unsettling the whole force,” Konoha chastises. “Daichi-san said they’re going to be here anywhere between thirty and forty minutes from now, so calm down and _wait_.”

“I’m so _bored_ ,” Koutarou whines. “All we do anymore is wait, Konoha! I want to do more than just sit around, _waiting_.”

Konoha groans. “Well, when the arson investigator gets here, we won’t be _waiting_ or _sitting around_ for quite some time. We’re going to be busy, and working with the police.”

“And we’re going to prevent any arson in our city!” Koutarou concludes proudly.

“Yeah. And that. So you’ll get your action soon, alright? Just wait it out a little longer, muscle head.”

Koutarou is pretty sure he’s not the only one who’s beyond excited for this right now. His coworkers are whispering and glancing towards the door, because everyone knows what the car that just pulled up likely holds. And everyone wants to know what they can do to protect this city.

The man who gets out of the car is far from what Koutarou expected, but that just makes this all the more intriguing. Shock red hair, spiked back with enough hair gel that it could probably compete with Koutarou’s style. Tall, bordering on gangly, but there’s lean muscle clear in his arms and chest– muscle his t-shirt does little to hide. And Koutarou is still gaping, probably embarrassingly so, but luckily(?), the man doesn’t see him.

He sees Ushijima, instead.

“Wakatoshi-kun!” he calls as he walks in. “I didn’t realize you were working in this department! It’s so good to see you again!”

Koutarou could not make this up if he tried: Ushijima _smiles_. It’s a real, rare, Ushijima Wakatoshi brand grin, and Koutarou doesn’t get to see it often, so forgive his heart for stopping, for just a moment.

“Tendou. It’s been a while.” Ushijima stands to greet the man – _Tendou_ – and shake his hand. “We have been informed why you are here. Would you like to fill us in on what we should expect to be dealing with?”

“Sure thing! As soon as everyone’s in here!”

“I believe everyone is,” Daichi says as he walks in. “Hello, Tendou-san. I’m Sawamura Daichi– we spoke on the phone?”

Tendou nods and shakes Daichi’s hand, then looks out at the rest of the room.

“Alright, well, hello everyone! I’m Tendou Satori, with the Fire and Arson Investigation team up in Tokyo. For the last four months, we’ve been tracking the patterns of an arsonist who has been attacking at random. Always abandoned buildings, never any casualties, very careful and controlled, but still causing some panic in the cities. People worry that the perp won’t be stopping at abandoned buildings if people don’t get their message.”

“And what message is that?” Hana asks, jotting notes down.

Tendou shrugs. “I’m not sure the perp _has_ a message. It looks like it’s just someone who likes to start fires just to watch them burn, but doesn’t want to hurt anyone. However, they are also very careful not to get caught. Only by following patterns were we able to determine that they’d be making their way out to Sendai next.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Konoha points out. “And you’re here, where they want you, while they go and start a dangerous fire elsewhere?”

“Don’t worry,” Tendou says, “I’m not going to be wrong.”

“Tendou is the best in the country,” Ushijima tells them. “He’s good at following patterns and clues. He is also a particularly talented guesser.”

Tendou pouts at that, and damn if it’s not the cutest thing Koutarou has ever seen.

“Wakatoshi-kun! You make it sound like I’m just pulling this out of my ass here! I swear, I’m not the only one who made this decision. The clues point here _as well as_ my intuition.”

Iwaizumi snorts, and it strikes Koutarou that he may know this Tendou person as well. Huh. Well, in any case–

“Then, let’s get to work!”

The rest of the day is spent bustling around the station, working on action plans, and informing Tendou of the different sites that seem to fit the description that the arsonist has gone after before. It’s all basics, and far too early to narrow anything down, but there’s a sense of determination and accomplishment when they all clock out that evening.

“We’re going to dinner!” Yukie announces. “Koutarou is paying!”

“I am not paying,” Koutarou counters. “Have mercy on my wallet, Yukippe!”

“Worth a shot,” she laughs. “Alright, but seriously, let’s eat. I’m starving!”

“You’re always starving,” Konoha says, coming into the room and grabbing his jacket. “Seriously. I have never known a single person who eats as much as you.”

As the force filters in and grabs their coats, Yukie continues to invite everyone to go eat with them. When Tendou joins them, she waves him over.

“New guy! Come eat dinner with us!” and it’s less of an invitation than a _demand_. “Koutarou’s paying!”

“Stop telling people that!” Koutarou complains, hair drooping. “I’m _not_ paying, Tendou-san.”

Tendou laughs and puts on his coat, wrapping a purple scarf around his neck. “Don’t worry, I won’t exploit you for food. Not today, at least.”

“You’ll come?” Ushijima double checks.

Tendou’s expression softens. “’Course I’ll come, Wakatoshi-kun! Team bonding, right? Where are we headed!”

Koutarou feels his heart sink, just a little, when he sees Tendou’s arm slung across Ushijima’s shoulders. It isn’t jealous, because that’s not his style and it’s not his right to be, but he is disappointed, even if just a little. After all, it’s not every day that some cute arson investigator waltzes into the fire station, and it feels like Koutarou never even got a chance to think, much less act, since Tendou already is so close with Ushijima.

“That is the single saddest express that I have ever seen, Kou,” Iwaizumi says, hand on Koutarou’s shoulder. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Koutarou sighs, his tone and drooping hair points betraying that it’s _not_ nothing. But it’s just some silly initial attraction. He knows that soon, he’ll be far too involved in work to even think about the attractive arson investigator.

Besides, this is a fun time! Walking to their favorite diner all together, ordering some food and laughing, talking, destressing from the day.

It’s easy to forget the disappointment, when surrounded by good food and good company.

“So, Tendou-san,” Hana starts, leaning over the table to look at the newest addition to their group. “What got you into arson investigation?”

“I’m afraid that’s a long, boring story, Misaki-san,” Tendou tells her, “but mostly, it was because I was good at figuring out patterns and just being a firefighter wasn’t enough to get people to pay attention. I wanted to stop fires from happening in the first place, not just put them out.”

He sips his drink like it’s the most normal aspiration in the world, but Koutarou has stars in his eyes. It’s just so _noble_ , so determined, that he can’t help but feel drawn like a moth to a flame.

“Ah, but enough about me!” he continues, waving a hand dismissively. “I want to get to know you guys and your team! So, why don’t you tell me all about some of the most ridiculous things you’ve all been called into action for!”

The tone switches from awed to amused _instantly_ , and Koutarou can tell they’re all thinking about the same cases.

“Once, someone called us because their cat was stuck in a tree,” Konoha starts. “Basic sort of thing, and Kou here _loves_ saving kitties from trees, so he and I head out. When we get there, we see the cat in question. Sitting on a low branch, that jumps down from the tree and runs into his house as soon as he spots us. The poor lady who called us was so embarrassed, we had to tell her that cats rarely get _stuck_ in high places.”

“She said that he wasn’t so low when she called!” Koutarou adds in the woman’s defense. “Plus, he’s an indoor cat. I get why she was scared.”

“Once, a cranky old man called to report a fire,” Kiyoko recalls. “He said there was smoke, he could practically _see_ the fire, all that, a few doors down. So, of course, we were on our way. And lo and behold, what do we find, Iwaizumi-kun?”

“We find a lovely family, having a perfectly safe and legal bonfire in their open backyard with no immediate fire hazards,” Iwaizumi laughs. “The old man never got in trouble, because he claims he really thought something was wrong, but I always suspected that he just wanted them to put out their nice little fire.”

“And yer probably right about that.” The group looks up to find their waiter, a familiar face, holding up a notepad and smiling. “Old men love to be cranky.”

“Osamu!” Koutarou cheers, beaming at him. “What are you doing, working out here tonight?”

“Slow night, thought I’d pay a visit to my most loyal customers,” Osamu says, ruffling Koutarou’s hair. “What’ll it be? D’ya even need to hear the specials, or do ya already know ’em by now?”

Everyone gets their orders, loudly recommending their favorites to Tendou as he still browses the menu.

“Would ya let the guy think?” Osamu scolds lightly. “Yer all gonna overwhelm him before he even gets to taste my food!”

“You have no idea how tragic that would be,” Iwaizumi tells Tendou.

Tendou just laughs at everyone’s antics and orders something small and simple. He doesn’t seem like the sort who would get _overwhelmed_ quickly, and he certainly seems unbothered by the group’s rowdiness. Even after just a few hours, he fits well into the group.

Well, in Koutarou’s totally unbiased opinion, at least.

After a warm and filling meal, everyone heads out to part ways and go home for the night.

Koutarou sees that Tendou is saying goodbye to Iwaizumi and Ushijima, but seems to be headed in the opposite direction from them. And for no reason other than it is also the direction that Koutarou is heading, he jogs to catch up to Tendou.

“Hey! Heading this way, Tendou-san?”

Tendou looks over, surprised, but he smiles. “Ah, yeah. My hotel is this way,” he says.

“Mind if I walk with ya? My apartment is a few blocks down this way,” Koutarou informs him, just so that Tendou doesn’t think he’s being creepy and following him or anything.

“Oh! Sure thing. I might get lost without a guide, honestly, so thank you, Bokuto-san,” Tendou agrees warmly, and _oh_ , that smile is going to cut right into Koutarou’s soul.

“Just Bokuto is okay,” Koutarou tells him. “And don’t worry, I’ll be your humble guide, Tendou-san!”

“Just Tendou, then,” Tendou corrects him, “and I guess that I’m in your care.”

Koutarou’s heartbeat picks up, because how could it _not_ , but he stubbornly pushes that away to focus on the bit of alone time he gets with Tendou. To get to know him, of course!

“So, you and Ushijima seem close!” Koutarou observes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile so much in one day!”

“Oh, yeah,” Tendou agrees, “we go way back. Went to high school together! And joined the force together in Tokyo. But we ended up parting ways when I decided that I wanted to pursue a different side of things, so we don’t get to see each other a whole lot. Especially not after he got transferred out here. But it’s nice to see him again! We were always good friends.”

Koutarou forces himself not to cling to the word _friends_ , because even if there was more there, he knows that Tendou isn’t just going to blurt it out to a perfect stranger. Honestly, who would? So, instead, he just nods in understanding and makes _no_ assumptions.

“He’s a good guy, easy to get along with,” he says instead of something stupid. “That’s cool that you’ve known him so long! What a small world, huh?”

Tendou smiles. “Yeah, it is.”

“So, Daichi-san says you’re gonna be here about a month?” Koutarou remembers. “Think it’ll be about that long, shorter?”

“I’m not sure. A month sounds about right, given the pattern. If we catch the perp, then I’ll probably stick around longer for the full investigation and the trial. So, a month at least. Possibly longer. It’ll just all depend!”

“Let’s hope we catch them,” Koutarou says. Then, he feels his neck warm up and shakes his head. “Not because of– I just think that it’s probably best to stop them here, instead of keep chasing them around the country, right?”

Tendou laughs, and Koutarou suddenly doesn’t care that his flustering is obvious. “Yeah,” he says warmly, “then let’s hope we catch him.”

Koutarou smiles, a little wobbly and embarrassed, but still, happy at the idea of more time to get to know Tendou. Before he can say anything, Tendou stops.

“Ah, this is me,” he says, gesturing to the hotel beside them. “Thank you for walking me, Bokuto. See you at work tomorrow.”

Koutarou beams at him. “Yeah! See you at work tomorrow!”

Iwaizumi and Koutarou are at a standstill that has been going for the last fifteen minutes.

The room is silent with watchful anticipation, waiting for one of them to crumble. Koutarou’s bicep is bulging, the veins are visible in Iwaizumi’s forearm, but their forms are still strong and the arm wrestling match has yet to move from its starting position.

Everyone seems to be holding their breath, as if the smallest move would tip the scales and send the carefully maintained equilibrium tumbling over.

This is the final match. Only one of them can walk out of this as the strongest.

Hana is the first to break the tense silent.

“God, I’m bored. Who wants a coffee? I’ll go run next door with orders.”

Koutarou pouts at her, because hello! This is very tense and very important! But in his brief distraction, Iwaizumi pushes their arms just a bit. Koutarou snaps his attention back to the match at hand and pushes back, harder, forcing Iwaizumi’s arm to the other side.

“Wait, Hana, don’t leave,” Kiyoko says, “one of them might finally win.”

Hana groans and leans over a desk. “If one of you don’t crush the other’s arm in the next ten seconds, I’m coming over there and crushing the both of you myself.”

Koutarou pouts harder, but he continues to force Iwaizumi’s arm down, until finally, he hits the table.

“That’s what you get for taking advantage of my distraction,” Koutarou whines.

Iwaizumi huffs. “I concede a single win to you, but that was a battle of stamina over strength. We’ll have to face off again sometime soon–”

“No!” Hana scolds, hands on her hips. “Coffee orders, now.”

“What did I walk into?”

Koutarou looks to the door where Tendou is arriving. Tendou pulls off his coat and his purple scarf to hang up, looking at the group curiously.

“Bokkun and Iwaizumi were arm wrestling for the title of strongest muscle brain here,” Yukie sighs. “They were at a standstill for fifteen minutes. I thought I was going to die.”

Tendou laughs at that, and wow, it’s a beautiful sound. Koutarou knows he’s already determined that, but it doesn’t make it any less true.

“Well, I’m sorry that I missed it, I guess! Hey, did you say coffee? I’ll come with ya if you grab everyone’s orders! Always good to have an extra set of hands, right!”

“You’re too kind, Tendou-san,” Hana says, grabbing a pad of sticky notes to write on. “I’d appreciate the help!”

Everyone gives their orders (and the money for said orders), and Hana and Tendou are on their way to the café next door.

With coffee orders placed, the general consensus is that it’s time to start setting up for the day. Especially now that they have so much to work on with the case that’s been brought to them– no time to waste!

Over the course of the week, they settle into a routine that easily fits Tendou into place. Honestly, Koutarou thinks that it’s as if Tendou has been a part of their team all this time; he fits in so well with everyone!

They have the potential arson sites narrowed down to five buildings, all in places where they’ll be seen without causing significant damage. Tendou warns against narrowing it down anymore.

“Don’t wanna put all our eggs in one basket and risk being wrong,” he explains. “So, we’re going to be ready at the five main sites, with guys at all the secondary scenes as well, just in case we’re wrong. No matter what happens, if the perp comes here, we’re going to get him.”

He sounds so confident, Koutarou can’t help but swoon, just a little. Konoha smacks his arm and pulls him out of his reverie pretty quickly.

“Won’t our presence uh, deter them from the sites?” Hana points out. “We’re banking on them going somewhere like the previous sites, but what if we spook them? And they’re forced to go somewhere busier, more dangerous?”

“We’re not exactly going to be camping out in a bright red firetruck,” Tendou reassures her. “We’ll be far enough to be hidden and close enough to act. Security cameras near all the buildings will help us keep an eye out, and any blind spots will be covered by us and the local detectives. We got this, I’m sure.”

And thus concludes their Saturday, with everyone talking quietly about what could happen if they’re wrong, but better, what could happen if they’re _right_.

“Tendou-san!” Yukie calls. “You joining us for dinner again?”

“I’d love to, but I think I’m gonna have to decline this time,” Tendou says, and Koutarou tries not to feel too disheartened. “I want to get a few more things in line before I head out for the day, alright?”

“M’kay! Kou, you coming?”

Koutarou thinks for a moment. It’s true that he doesn’t always go on Saturdays; he likes to use the emptiness as an opportunity to work out in the weight room without distractions. But he’s terribly self-conscious about his obvious little crush on the arson investigator, and he knows that opting to stay will mean teasing later.

Then again, if Tendou wasn’t here, Koutarou would still be staying to catch some more working out. Every day this week, he’s been distracted in the weight room…

“Ah, gonna pass,” he says. “I’ll be in the weight room.”

“Okay! Just be sure to eat afterwards, alright?” she tells him, then ducks out.

Koutarou stands from his desk and starts to head back, but Tendou catches his eye. He looks at Tendou quizzically.

“Weight room?” Tendou asks.

“I like to try and catch at least one session alone,” Koutarou explains. “The team is usually all in there at once, so I don’t always get to do a full and proper workout.”

Tendou hums and turns his eyes back to the files in front of him. “Well, have fun, Bokuto. Maybe if we leave at the same time, you can walk me back again.”

Koutarou can’t help but brighten at the offer.

“Yeah! Yeah, I’d like that.”

Unfortunately, Tendou is still engrossed in his work when Koutarou finishes with the weight room and a shower. He sighs, but he doesn’t feel too disappointed. He knows that there will be plenty of other opportunities to walk Tendou back to the hotel.

He says a quick farewell, and Tendou looks up and waves with a small, apologetic smile.

Ah. Next time. Koutarou will just walk him back next time.

Konoha was right when he said that Tendou’s arrival would bring very little downtime for the team. They’ve reached a state of _mostly work, little play_ , and it’s a very different environment than it was just a week and a half ago.

Koutarou can’t help but worry about the other cities, the ones that could possibly get hit if Tendou is wrong. And he doesn’t think that Tendou is wrong, but there’s a creeping anxiety in his chest that wonders about it anyways.

He taps his fingers on the desk as he reads over the details of the plan. Starting that Saturday, they’d all be working posts, ready to jump into action when needed. First, the police captain is coming in to sort them into teams. After that, it would be all drills and preparations.

The posts are sorted, and Koutarou is, by some miracle, assigned with Tendou. Konoha very loudly protests that the two of them have too loud of hairstyles and personalities to sit on the same post together, but the police captain is going off of strengths and statistics, determining who will work best together.

And well, anxiety aside, Koutarou can’t say he’s not looking forward to working more closely with Tendou over the next two weeks.

He knows the rest of the week isn’t going to give him much breaks or alone time, so Koutarou decides to take advantage of the evening for his workout of peace. Tendou and Daichi are discussing things in the main area, but otherwise, the building is mostly empty.

Koutarou is on his back, working his bench presses. That’s always been one of his favorite workouts to clear his head.

Just as he’s starting, there’s a knock on the doorframe. Confused, Koutarou sets the weights aside before sitting up. It’s Tendou.

“Oh. Hey,” he says, tilting his head in confusion. “Done with what you were talking to Daichi-san about?”

Tendou hums in affirmation and steps into the weight room. “Need a spot, Bokuto?”

And well, no, he doesn’t. Not for this. But since it’s Tendou offering… something about him makes Koutarou easily cave. That something is probably the growing crush that he can’t seem to squash, but that’s neither here nor there.

“Sure,” he hears himself say. He picks up the weights and lays back into position, and listens to Tendou’s footsteps grow closer.

Koutarou is almost expecting Tendou to pick up a conversation, but he doesn’t. He wonders if it’s because the investigator remembered what Koutarou said about working out alone in the quiet. The thought that he’s being considerate has Koutarou’s heart doing flips that he’d really like to avoid in this particular moment.

He almost drops the weights when Tendou’s hands touch his elbows, and Tendou apologizes quietly. Tendou adjusts Koutarou’s form, just a smidge, and Koutarou can’t believe his form even slipped in the first place. He doesn’t think that’s happened since high school.

“Breathe,” Tendou snorts, “and you’re straining your neck.”

“R-right,” Koutarou stammers. He pauses at the bottom and takes a deep breath, forcing himself to stop acting like a teenager with a crush (and instead act like a Grown Ass Adult™ with a crush).

It’s mostly silent for the rest of Koutarou’s workout, and he bids Tendou goodnight before heading to the showers. His brain is still lagging, trying to figure out if Tendou was _actually_ watching the sweat roll down his body, or if Koutarou was imagining it, hoping for it.

Not that it matters, he reminds himself in the shower, because he doesn’t need to develop some weird sexual tension with the man he’s supposed to be _working with_ during the rest of the investigation. Koutarou lets the water run over his hair, washing away hair gel, sweat, and hopefully any less-than-platonic thoughts about his coworker.

The remainder of the week passes by in a flash of preparations and working with the police department. It’s vital that the fire department is involved, Koutarou is told, because if the fire does get started, then there needs to be someone there to put it out. Which makes sense.

When Saturday arrives, Koutarou gets into work early. He’s dressed in more casual clothes, a bag slung over his shoulder with clothes for the next two weeks along with his firefighter uniform. (It’s a big bag.)

He isn’t completely sure what this “stake out” will entail, but he has a sinking feeling that it’s going to be a whole new brand of _hurry up and wait_ that will make his earlier boredom feel like a party. Yukie tells him that he’s too antsy, but he can’t help it! He needs things to _do_! But maybe the watching will be more interesting than he’s anticipating.

Daichi is already at his desk, glasses slipping down his nose as he fills out paperwork. Koutarou laughs and heads over, poking the glasses back up where they go.

“Hey, Daichi-san,” he says, leaning on the desk. “Exciting day today, huh!”

“Yeah, unless you’re my husband who insists that this is too dangerous for me to be a part of,” Daichi sighs. He shakes his head. “Sorry, sorry. Long night. You look ready to go– what, out of hair gel?”

“Hmm?” Koutarou touches his hair, down for once, and smiles. “Well, I was thinkin’ about what Konoha said! He’s probably right, my hair is pretty noticeable. I thought keeping it down would be better!”

“I think if it were an actual problem, the detectives would’ve told you so,” Daichi laughs, “but I appreciate your commitment to the job.”

“’Course, Daichi-san!” Koutarou says, puffing his chest up with pride. “Oh! And Koushi-san’s just worried about you because he loves you,” he adds thoughtfully. “Tell him we’re gonna make sure ya get back home in one piece.”

Daichi hums and nods. “I know. And I’ll tell him you said so, Bokuto.”

Koutarou heads to his own desk and picks up his files, flipping through everything he needs to know. He remembers most of it, and the rest is basically instinct, but it never hurts to review. At least, that’s what Yukie’s been telling him since high school.

It only takes half an hour before everyone is there, ready to take their posts for the next two weeks. Tendou is, surprisingly, last to arrive, but with him comes the entirety of the detectives working the case. Koutarou assumes that, as the arson investigator, Tendou was called in there first.

He meets the red head’s eyes and waves, since they’ll be working together for the next while. Tendou’s eyes widen at the sight of Koutarou’s hair, which, okay. That’s fair. He knows he looks different like this. But Tendou is still in the middle of a conversation with the police captain, so Koutarou says no more.

He just hopes that nothing goes weird over the stake out, since the last time that he and Tendou really talked… Well. Koutarou chooses not to remember the tension that had settled over the weight room that night, because god forbid he _hopes_ that Tendou is attracted to him too. That could get messy. Not just for the case, but for any potential _friendship_ here. And friendship is more important to Koutarou any day.

The hotel they’re at has a perfect view of the building they’re watching. Their room is on the ground floor and has a little patio area, which means they’ll be able to easily get out and across the street if they’re needed at any point. There’s a fire hydrant in perfect position, and Koutarou’s firefighter uniform is hung up and ready to be thrown on at a moment’s notice.

Tendou has everything set up, and he’s sitting by the window, watching carefully.

“Can I ask something?” Koutarou says, taking a seat in the chair beside him.

“Sure,” Tendou replies, glancing at him.

“Did you choose this location because you think it’s the most likely?” The thought has been plaguing Koutarou for about fifteen minutes now, especially with how vigilant Tendou looks.

Tendou smiles, a little dark and creepy, which shouldn’t be hot, but damn if it isn’t. “It’s just a guess, Bokuto. I couldn’t possibly choose if something is the _most_ likely.”

“But we are at one of the five locations you have the highest suspicions for,” Koutarou presses, searching Tendou’s face for an answer. “Ushijima says you’re a master of _guessing_ , because you’re really a master of intuition.”

“Wakatoshi-kun has always thought it was more precise than it is,” Tendou says easily, waving a hand. “I appreciate it, but the truth is that for every four times I’m right, I’m still wrong once. That’s why we work with a whole team, and not just off my best guess.”

“So, this is your best guess,” Koutarou concludes, grinning. “I won’t let you down, Tendou-san.”

“We already talked about the _-san_ , Bokuto,” Tendou reminds him, but his grin grows as well.

Koutarou doesn’t want to get his hopes up, just in case there isn’t any action on this side of town, but Tendou’s best guess means a _lot_ when he’s right over eighty percent of the time.

“I guess it’s a good thing that I can get in uniform at record speed,” Koutarou says with a grin.

Tendou doesn’t reply, only smirks at the window.

As it turns out, Tendou is good at guessing a _lot_ of things. Before joining the fire department in Tokyo, before changing to an arson investigator, he double majored in psychology and criminal justice.

“It was just curiosity,” he explains, “but I really wanted to see if my people-reading skills and intuition could become something more. I didn’t know what that something could possibly be until Wakatoshi-kun asked me to join the force with him. Then, I knew.”

Koutarou is enraptured with the story, not just because he likes Tendou, but because Tendou is so _interesting_. He’s sure that he’s radiating hearts and stars, but he can’t be bothered to care right now.

“What about you? Did you do uni? Or did you know that you would go right to the fire department?”

Koutarou hums. “Well, I did two years– I was thinking about getting a degree in sports medicine! But I changed my mind for a couple of reasons.”

“Oh?” Tendou looks at him with curious eyes, and it’s oddly exciting to get to talk about himself.

“Well, Yukie and I went to high school together, along with Konoha, and those two joined the force together right out of high school! I wanted to try and pursue a coaching career, for volleyball. I never got scouted for the V-League, since we were at a small school.” And as easily as Koutarou got excited, he starts to feel a little embarrassed trying to explain how he ended up here.

“So, what changed?”

Koutarou’s fingers tap on his thigh as he tries to put the experience into _words_.

“I remember there was a fire, a few dorms down from my building. It was scary, and I remember that Yukie and Konoha were two of the firefighters on the scene. There was just something about that moment that made me think, _I want to be where they are, I want to do that too_!”

“And then you just were good at it?” Tendou guesses with a laugh.

“Yeah! Konoha says it’s annoying that I caught on so fast despite being two years later than them, but I think that I just put my athleticism to a new use, just like they did.” Koutarou scratches the back of his neck. “Honestly, I feel like a bumbling idiot sometimes. But being a big guy is useful when heavy things need to be moved, or someone needs to be carried, so I’ll gladly be used however they need me!”

“You’re the sort who does this for honorable reasons,” Tendou realizes, humming to himself. “I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting that.”

Koutarou tilts his head in questioning. “What other reason is there?”

Tendou’s eyes widen, and okay, that’s two surprises in a row. Koutarou could get used to putting that expression on Tendou’s face.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Starting Tuesday morning, there’s a suspicious figure who keeps reappearing at the building. Not suspicious enough to call anything in, but Koutarou finds himself watching the person closely. They could be a tourist or an architect, but the way they’re surveying the area surrounding the abandoned building across the street…

It looks like they’re trying to decide if it fits their style of building to burn.

Koutarou opens his mouth to say something on Wednesday evening, but Tendou nods and holds up a hand.

“I see them,” he confirms. “And it looks like our perp.”

“Have you seen the perp before?” Koutarou asks.

“Only the tail end of them running from a scene in Tokyo,” Tendou says, leaning closer to the window. “This is their fourth time surveying the area. By now, they should have notes on whether or not this area will be seen, if the fire station or police station are close enough to get to them, and if the fire will risk spreading to occupied buildings or hurting anyone.”

“This one’s the farthest from the stations,” Koutarou remembers. “It’s by less than a kilometer though.”

“Devil’s in the details, Bokkun.” Tendou’s eyes narrow. “They’re going to hit it tomorrow night. They should have all the data they need.”

“Should we call the others?” Koutarou asks, already standing to grab his phone.

“Tell Daichi-san and the detectives. I don’t want to spook them by bringing everyone into the area, and I don’t want to risk everyone coming here and being wrong. But those in the extraneous locations should move it in or move it back to the stations and be ready.”

Koutarou nods, and then blinks. “Uh.”

“I’ll call it in,” Tendou says, grabbing his own phone. “You just be ready to put out a fire, alright, Bokuto?”

“That’s what I’m here for!”

Thursday feels tense.

It hasn’t even been a week, but something tells Koutarou that Tendou was anticipating this to happen on the earlier side of things. He looks unfazed as ever, calmly readying himself to call it in should anything happen before nightfall.

Koutarou, on the other hand, is antsy and fidgety and desperate to _do_. This whole waiting thing has never been his strong suit, but it’s just getting harder with every moment that passes. He wants to catch this guy before a fire even starts! But he knows that to do that, he needs to calm down and wait it out.

The mysterious figure checks on the building three times over the course of the day. As it approaches sunset, they glance inside, as if making sure it’s clear. Possibly of anyone who could get hurt, but Koutarou can’t help but feel like they know that the police are onto them. That they know this is their last hurrah before they’re taken in.

It’s strange. He’s put out a lot of fires for a lot of reasons. During the dry seasons or any time of the year involving fireworks, he knows to be vigilant and ready to go at any and all hours. But never has he known about something in specifics so far in advance, and never has he been faced with _arson_.

Tendou is calmly eating some instant ramen, and Koutarou seriously doesn’t know how he does it. But then, Tendou has seen this sort of thing plenty of times. This is what he’s trained for.

All Koutarou needs to be ready for is putting out a fire if one starts.

“You’re too tense,” Tendou says, hardly looking up. “Relax. I’ll buy you dinner when it’s all over, how about that?”

Koutarou breathes a laugh, smile wobbly. “Yeah.”

“I owe you anyways, since you have to put your patience to the test so much right now.” Tendou finally looks at Koutarou, equal parts apologetic and amused. “It’ll be a nice dinner.”

Koutarou snorts and finally feels the tension in his body start to release. “Yeah,” he sighs, “it’d better be.”

“You remember the simulations?” Tendou asks, gesturing out the sliding door.

Koutarou nods.

“Good. That’s all you need to remember. Go with what you know you have to do. The rest of us will do the same.”

At eight thirty, the figure reappears in all black, along with what looks like some protective gear. Koutarou doesn’t think he’s ever gotten his firefighter uniform on faster.

The figure enters the building.

Koutarou and Tendou are on the move.

Koutarou is out first, easily clearing the brick half wall bordering the patio and running for the abandoned building across the street. Tendou is talking to the police on the radio, and Koutarou hears someone say that there’s more firefighters on their way.

He smells smoke before he sees it, far too close to the entrance of the building. His instincts understand more than his mind, and he moves on autopilot, grabbing Tendou and covering the arson investigator with his body.

The small and borderline beautiful explosion is controlled like all the rest of the first. Perfect for a last hurrah, Koutarou thinks.

“Now,” he says, getting to the fire hydrant. “You were a firefighter, so you know how to use this. I’m better protected, so I’m going in.”

Tendou looks a little startled, which doesn’t make Koutarou feel great.

“What if they try to pick a fight?”

Koutarou crosses his arms. “I’m six foot three and built like a machine,” he points out. Tendou’s cheeks turn red at the reminder. “So, don’t worry about me! Send the others inside!”

The perp seems resigned to the fact that their grand finale has been foiled by the time Koutarou and the rest get to them. It looks like they wanted to blow fireworks off the top floor, but when Koutarou and Tendou were nearly hit by the fireworks at the entrance, they seemed to give in.

They explain that they never wanted to hurt anyone, but they couldn’t help wanting to watch something burn. To try and make it beautiful, for others to see as well.

“Lots of honorable careers that could’ve done it better,” Tendou says, shaking his head. “They could’ve worked with fireworks, instead of this.”

Koutarou nods, frowning a bit as he watches the perp be put in the back of the police car. “Now what?”

“Now, it goes to a court,” Tendou says. “And then, a judge will decide what happens. If expert witnesses are needed, then I’ll stay in town.”

“If not?” Koutarou glances at the arson investigator.

“Well, I still owe you a dinner,” Tendou reminds him. “And we’re both grown ass adults with access to the internet and phones. So, it’s not like this is the last we’ll see of each other. It doesn’t have to be.”

Koutarou is stupidly relieved to hear that, but he smiles over at Tendou. The look Tendou sends back is knowing, but still fond, and Koutarou’s heart skips a beat.

“Then it won’t be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/lovingyachi) and scream with me about Haikyuu!! and other shit, and stay tuned as I try to tackle Bokuto week and Tsukishima week back to back!


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